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Previous research has highlighted the occurrence of isomorphic tendencies— convergences in terms of formal organizational structure—in higher education systems in times of uncertainty and under external pressure to change. It has been repeatedly claimed that the Australian university system largely followed a logic of isomorphic change in the aftermath of radical national policy reform of the late 1980s. Yet to date, there is a lack of comprehensive empirical studies testing this thesis. Addressing this lacuna, and drawing on a range of university and government data, this paper tracks and analyses: (a) changes in the formal academic organizational structures existing at all public Australian universities and (b) changes in the numbers of academic staff and students in different academic organizational groupings over the period of 1987–1991. Despite some limitations in the available data, our system-level analysis finds that there was clear and significant convergence in terms of formal organizational structures and student and staff numbers in the majority of academic fields that were taught and researched at Australian universities at that time. We also draw attention to some conceptual limitations of existing accounts of isomorphic change in Australia and outline trajectories for future research supplementing the system-level analysis presented here.

Purpose:This study investigates the phenomenon of moral hazard among the student population, specifically in the context of financial subsidies and other financing support schemes that they receive while pursuing higher education. The emphasis is on the dynamics of the financier-student relationship and the emergence of the moral hazard. The main purpose of this study is to identify and understand the factors that contribute to the occurrence of moral hazard among students, considering the financial support they receive from government subsidies and parental contributions.Design/methodology/approach:For the purpose of this study, the authors conducted a survey among business and administration students at the University of Rijeka to investigate the presence of moral hazard and its influencing factors. In order to investigate and to analyze the emergence of moral hazard and the impact of its influencing factors, the Structural Equation Modelling-Partial Least Square (SEM-PLS) method was used.Findings:This study aims to fill a research gap on the existence of moral hazard in higher education financing and explore the factors that contribute to its emergence. The results of explanatory analyses suggest that financial asymmetry and financial attitudes negatively impact the occurrence of the moral hazard, while financial behaviors were not statistically significant. Additionally, the results show that various contextual, economic, and behavioral factors influence moral hazard.Research limitations/implications: The limited explanatory power of the findings highlights a key limitation, underscoring the inherent complexity and multifaceted nature of the moral hazard construct. Besides this limitation, the authors surveyed only economics and business administration students; excluding students from other fields could have impacted the results of the analysis and could have led to different results for the overall student population.Originality.There are only a few studies on the occurrence of moral hazard in higher education financing in European countries. The welfare state and the subsidization of higher education and supporting schemes for the student expenses are deeply ingrainedThe majority of European countries have a societal consciousness that rarely questions the occurrence of undesirable phenomena like moral hazard. To the best of our knowledge, this study represents the first attempt to explore the occurrence of moral hazard in financing higher education with the PLS-SEM methodology while also developing constructs that influence the occurrence of moral hazard.Keywords:Moral Hazard, Tuitions Fees, Financing Higher Education, Croatia, Students, PLS-SEMJEL Classification: H75, I22, J24

Background: One of the challenges of countries is offering higher education (HE) to populations that are not able to access it. The problem lies in the fact that many citizens are unable to finance the costs of their education. Some countries have implemented a system of financing that is contingent on income, seeking to improve the number of students entering HE and to increase access to educational financing; however, this system requires commitments from higher-education institutions, the country, and companies; thus, this text analyzes the challenges and difficulties regarding the implementation of the current system. Methods: Based on comparative international experience, an analysis of the political and social factors that hinder the implementation of ICF was conducted. This article focuses on countries with average development indexes that are on the verge of applying such a model, as is the case with Colombia. Results: From the economic point of view of the public and private sectors, an ICF model is justified in countries with different economic and social conceptions, and reforms for the implementation of ICF are given by the vision of the political and economic system that each country might have. Conclusion: International experience concludes that, for the ICF model to be successful, it should focus on its beneficiaries; that is, it should accurately identify the aspects of the users of educational credit. Furthermore, politicians must show prodigious leadership skills to effectively explain the economic logic of political leaders.

Drawing boundaries in federal systems is often a practical and constitutional challenge for public finance and the delivery of higher education. This paper studies arrangements between national and provincial governments as they affect post-secondary performance in Canada. The study investigates several categories of interaction between levels of government: transfer payments, student financial aid, research infrastructure, tax credits and policy, and philanthropy, accountability, and student accessibility. The study concludes that the interface between federal and provincial policy, although messy and improvable, divides mainly along lines between fiscal practice and programme delivery. The scale of public investment in higher education usually divides equally between federal contributions, which, except for research, are in most respects indirect, and provincial contributions, which are direct. Because provinces control tuition fees, the balance of total spending falls to them. Policies about quality, accessibility, affordability, and programme delivery reside with the provinces and their political priorities. Both levels of government are concerned about human capital formation and the role of higher education in economic growth but take different approaches. It is in this area that the federal-provincial interface is most problematic, and points to a problem endemic to the Canadian model of fiscal federalism.

The higher education sector in Hong Kong has restructured substantially from elite to mass higher education since the introduction of education reform by the Hong Kong government in 2000. To stay ahead in this competitive environment in the education sector, management teams of self-financing institutions have to compete for students and identify key factors influencing students' choice of post-secondary programmes. This paper investigates factors affecting students' choice of sub-degree programmes in self-financing higher education institutions in Hong Kong. Importance–performance analysis was employed as an analytical tool to help institutions identify areas for improvement and utilize their resources more effectively. The findings show that institutions should find ways to improve areas of \"articulation\", \"career services\", \"financial aid\" and \"programme design\" in order to increase their competitiveness. The outcomes of this research will help management teams of self-financing higher education institutions enhance their overall strategic plan and enrolment processes in order to attract students in a context of increasing competition for students in the Hong Kong higher education system.

Higher education plays a central role in countries’ realization of their socio-economic development and in establishing a competitive, skilled workforce globally. The need for a skilled workforce, combined with scarcity in financial resources pertaining to higher education, has resulted in governments resolving to finance higher education. This article seeks to encourage adequate regulation to realize the sustainability of higher education financing in Lesotho, to achieve greater inclusiveness in institutions of higher learning. Through the National Manpower Power Development Council Act 8 of 1978, the Lesotho government established the National Manpower Development Council, which is aimed at facilitating the granting of loan bursaries from a fund administered by the National Manpower Development Secretariat. However, these efforts have faced challenges due to the increased cost of financing higher education. Poor management of the loan recovery function, increasing default by graduates on their repayment obligations and a lack of concerted efforts between the respective government departments threaten its sustainability.

This paper takes an innovative approach. We have used the idea of converting international evidence of the size of higher education externalities as a proportion of GDP into Australian-specific dollar equivalents and added these estimates to estimates of lifetime fiscal returns to graduates. This allows us to estimate the expected spillovers over a graduate's lifetime, an opportunity that has so far not been taken elsewhere. We conclude that an additional year of higher education in an Australian context, valued at the time of a student's enrolment, lies between $10,635 and $15,952 in 2014 terms. We also acknowledge that it is difficult and inappropriate to apply estimates of average externalities to issues related to public sector pricing. However, having some idea of the boundaries of the potential sizes of higher education spillovers is a valuable and interesting exercise. (HRK / Abstract übernommen).

No presente artigo, analisamos os recursos destinados pelo governo brasileiro para o pagamento da dívida pública para as Universidades Federais e para a Ciência e Tecnologia no período de 2003 a 2020. Para efeito comparativo, apresentamos os recursos destinados, ano a ano, à dívida pública, às Universidades Federais, à função Ciência e Tecnologia e aos órgãos de apoio e fomento à pesquisa. Trata-se de um estudo documental. Os dados primários foram coletados no portal da Câmara dos Deputados, tabulados e atualizados monetariamente para janeiro de 2021, segundo o Índice de Preços ao Consumidor Amplo (IPCA). No período de 2003-2020 o Governo Federal destinou ao pagamento de juros encargos e amortização da dívida de R $ 9,497 trilhões. Tal montante representou 12 vezes mais que os recursos destinados às Universidades Federais e 55 vezes mais que à Ciência e Tecnologia. A destinação de uma parcela significativa do orçamento federal para viabilizar a rentabilidade do capital na esfera financeira, por meio do pagamento da dívida pública, representa um importante obstáculo estrutural à ampliação dos recursos destinados ao financiamento das Políticas Sociais, da Educação Superior e da Ciência e Tecnologia no Brasil.   A hipótese central é que o neoliberalismo brasileiro optou por uma integração ainda mais subordinada ao circuito de produção e distribuição do valor em escala mundial, com forte dominação do capital financeiro, e as políticas econômicas implementadas pelos diversos governos, desde então, tem elegido como prioridade absoluta a destinação de grande parcela do orçamento federal para o pagamento da dívida pública. Esta opção transformou o país em plataforma de valorização do capital rentístico e, ademais, tem implicado em dificuldades de promoção de políticas sociais na abrangência exigida pelas necessidades da nação e das camadas subalternas da sociedade brasileira. Para efeito comparativo, mostram-se o montante de valores destinados, ano a ano, à dívida pública, às universidades federais, à função ciência e tecnologia, bem como a órgãos de apoio e fomento à pesquisa. Trabalha-se com dados primários coletados no portal da Câmara dos Deputados, tabulados e atualizados monetariamente para janeiro de 2021 segundo o Índice de Preços ao Consumidor Amplo (IPCA) apurado e publicado pelo Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatísticas (IBGE). Esse procedimento permite que os montantes destinados a cada rubrica ou órgão sejam comparados ano a ano, ao longo do período abrangido pelo estudo. O estudo permite afirmar que há inequívoca continuidade dos parâmetros e bases do projeto neoliberal no Brasil, cobrindo todo o período dos governos civis que cobrem mais de três décadas. O rentismo, a privatização clássica e não clássica (parcerias público-privadas), a desregulação, a hipertrofia do capital financeiro e do setor de bens primários e vulnerabilidade externa são características do padrão neoliberal de acumulação capitalista constantes, apesar, et pour cause!, das mudanças operadas pelos governos do Partido dos Trabalhadores. Em todo esse período, só aumentou a drenagem de recursos do orçamento da União para o pagamento da dívida pública, o que se tornou um sério obstáculo ao financiamento das políticas sociais ao lado do sistema tributário regressivo. É isso que se demonstra nos seguintes dados referentes ao período de 2003-2019: 21,011  trilhões de Reais foram destinados para a dívida pública, incluindo o refinanciamento, o que representou média anual de 45,66% do orçamento federal; somente com juros, encargos e amortizações, a União destinou 8,815 trilhões de Reais, o que representou 18,88% do total das despesas anuais. Este último total representa 7 vezes mais que os recursos destinados para a função educação (R$1,340 trilhão), 5 vezes mais que os recursos destinados à saúde (R $ 1,848 trilhão), 55 vezes mais que os recursos destinados à ciência e tecnologia (R$160,836 bilhões) e 11 vezes mais que as despesas com as universidades federais (R$ 767,325 bilhões). A pesquisa demonstra, também, que a partir de 2014 se intensificou uma crise de natureza política e econômica que iria redundar no golpe institucional contra Dilma Rousseff, em 2016, expandir e aprofundar uma agenda regressiva com cortes nos orçamentos das políticas sociais. Na esteira da Emenda Constitucional 95/2016, as despesas orçamentárias com as universidades federais, com ciência e tecnologia e com órgãos de apoio e fomento à pós-graduação e à pesquisa sofreram grave queda. Um exemplo é o que ocorreu na rubrica Ciência e Tecnologia cujas verbas decresceram 56,36% comparando-se os anos de 2013 e 2019. Quanto às universidades, se os recursos globais apresentaram pequeno crescimento de 2,18%, os valores destinados ao investimento tiveram queda abrupta de 95,04% e os recursos para o custeio apresentaram uma redução de 27,97%, causando grave crise financeira das instituições. A crise afetou gravemente órgãos vinculadas à C&T e à pós-graduação, como a Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) e o Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq). O primeiro teve suas verbas diminuídas em 58,70% quando comparados os anos de 2016 e 2019. Já o CNPq teve seus recursos reduzidos na ordem de 52,39% tomando por base os anos de 2014 e 2019, ficando abaixo dos recursos gastos no ano de 2003. A superação da atual crise de financiamento que afeta as universidades federais e a ciência e tecnologia no Brasil se inscreve nas lutas mais gerais da classe trabalhadora brasileira contra a agenda regressiva em curso e contra o padrão de acumulação rentista que historicamente se desenvolveu em nosso país. A consolidação de um robusto sistema nacional de educação e de um complexo público de ciência e tecnologia no Brasil implica na construção de um outro projeto de desenvolvimento, na construção de um projeto nacional de desenvolvimento de acordo com os interesses imediatos e históricos daqueles que vivem de seu próprio trabalho e constroem a riqueza deste país.

Reviewed in this article is the potential for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) to transform higher education delivery, accessibility, and costs. Next, five major value propositions for MOOCs are considered (headhunting, certification, face-to-face learning, personalized learning, integration with services external to the MOOC, marketing). Then, four pricing strategies for MOOCs are examined (cross-subsidy, third-party, “freemium”, nonmonetary). Although the MOOC movement has experienced growing pains similar to most innovations, we assert that the unyielding pace of improvements in network technologies combined with the need to tame the costs of higher education will create continuing demand for MOOC offerings.

Understanding just how state leaders respond to fiscal crises and the continuing challenges of adequate funding should provide insight into how successful states are likely to be in creating environments where most citizens can attend and benefit from higher education. This article describes and begins to classify the nature and range of state responses to ongoing fiscal challenges. We focus on state-level leadership and governance, fiscal policies, and accountability mechanisms. We identify five types of responses: cutting costs (emphasizing cost controls and low-cost providers); buying degrees (allocating state funds based on outcomes not inputs); the grand bargain (providing more campus autonomy in exchange for lower funding); hunkering down and waiting (hoping that state appropriations will return to past levels); and falling apart (weak governance mechanisms compounding financial difficulties). The tradeoffs inherent in each approach are discussed.